Katara hated quarreling with Zuko. Their fights were few and far between (usually occurring when Zuko was worn out and stressed from royal duties and Katara was annoyed because said duties brought him home late) but just as fierce as when they were teenagers. Shouting, growling, snarling, and scowling were frequented by both parties on such occasions, so much that often times Uncle Iroh would hear them from down the hall and come to see what was the matter, only to retract immediately like a turtle into its shell until the dangerous dispute was settled.

Of course, this never happened immediately. After shouting until they were both hoarse, Zuko would retreat into his study to meditate with a loud slamming of the door, and Katara would stand with her arms folded across her chest, fuming, for a few long minutes before lying down on the bed and folding her arms over a pillow to mull over the fight, her own way of meditating. After a while, she would begin to cool down, and it couldn’t be long before tears would rim her blue eyes, regret for saying such awful things to him. She would give him a little while longer to cool off before slowly opening the door to his study, just enough for her to fit through, and closing it just as silently. She would approach him gradually, her hands clasped her back, and when she finally sat down next to him on the floor, his eyes would slide open and he would look at her for the first time. Concern and regret were obvious in Zuko’s golden eyes, and only deepened when he saw that her own eyes were reddened from crying. He would reach over and wipe the tears from her eyes with his thumb and she would smile slightly. Then he’d lean over and kiss her gently, his way of apologizing. And Katara would then wrap her arms around him and bury her face in his shoulder, clinging to him for the longest time before either of them moved, her own apology.

This was the way it always went. Very rarely did they ever speak the words "I’m sorry" aloud. They each had their own way of silently apologizing, which was always accepted and returned, in that way that only true loves can. Thus would be a quarrel of Zuko and Katara until it was finally banished to nether regions of thought where it could not called upon to trouble them again.

That was the way it always went. Always.